Dolly Parton Raps With Queen Latifah on ‘Today’

Appearing on the ‘Today’ show this morning because of their new film ‘Joyful Noise,’ Dolly Parton and Queen Latifah took the descriptor “cross-genre” just one step further. When host Ann Curry pointed out that hip-hop and country had an intersection in the two artists, Parton innocently said, “We never thought about that. We just thought it’d be rap stuff,” and then she jumped right into a rap with Latifah beat-boxing at her side.

“Queen Latifah, she’s queen a’ hip hop and rap and the movie. Oh she’s queen a’ her own good but I’m the queen a Dollywood,” she rapped. With a kickin’ groove from her sidekick, Parton actually delivered a pretty convincing and catchy little rap, letting the word “Dollywood” roll easily off her tongue. Curry broke out laughing and pointed out, “And that wasn’t even the performance!”

Latifah and Parton told Curry they’ve always had a mutual affection for one another’s craft, so working together wasn’t such a coincidence. Then the two performed their song ‘Not Enough (Love)’ from the ‘Joyful Noise’ soundtrack with a powerful six-person background choir. And, of course, if there’s one commonality between hip-hop and country it’s the depth of soul, which was so evident in this performance. The two voices blended nicely together, and their presence was energetic and contagious.

With Parton looking especially short and especially blonde by her tall dark counterpart, the pairing may have looked unconventional, but it sounded spot on. ‘Joyful Noise’ opens in theaters tomorrow.